Planting Tree Prerequisite to Marriage

Over the last two decades of the 20th century, rapid deforestation has taken its tool. Indonesia as a country that has huge forests, also suffer from bad deforestation. Data shows, in last 50 years, forest area has decreased from 162 million hectares to 98 millions hectares in 1996. This is also become intractable problem for the societies that have to face illegal logging practice, forest fire and the scale of corruption in forest industry when they wish to protect the forest for livelihood.

Community is a stakeholder that has the closest connection and relation to forest. They can harvest and exploit it easily. However, when they do over exploitation, community will suffer from natural hazard such drought and flood. That is why they need to utilize the forest wisely.

Malalo village in West Sumatra Province has local wisdom to protect their forest with give obligation to the villagers to plant trees in forest before marriage, two trees for a couple. This tradition has been done since their ancestor and they are trying to regulating it in a white paper. They wish they could protect their forest from deforestation and for sustainability.

Balikpapan city located in East Kalimantan has issued a new regulation for a couple to get recommendation letter to get marry. The East Kalimantan government obliges them to submit one to tree seedling then a couple can get the letter. This regulation aims to promote community awareness to protect the forest. The government wishes it will be a habit in the future and will reduce deforestation.

There must be any other local wisdom from the community in entire world in order to protect the forest and the world can take it as the basic of a new regulation in order to protect our forest. Protecting forest is become world's obligation and our obligation. Each of us can do war to global warming.